PCT | Oregon
This section of the PCT crosses the state of Oregon, from the border with California (mile 1692) to Cascade Locks, at the border with Washington (mile 2147).
Oregon is known to be the easiest section, because of its mostly flat and simple terrain. Hikers sometimes accept the “Oregon Challenge”, and try to cross the whole state in 2 weeks only!
1. CA/OR Border to Mazama Village
mi 1694 - mi 1822
2. Mazama Village to Shelter Cove
mi 1822 - mi 1908
3. Shelter Cove to Bend
mi 1908 - mi 2002
4. Bend to Timberline Lodge
mi 2002 - mi 2100
5. Timberline Lodge to Cascade Locks
mi 2100 - mi 2149
These are the main challenges we faced:
Wildfires & smoke 🔥
Cold temperatures, rain & hail ☔
Lightning & thunder storms ⚡
While cruising through Oregon, I was mostly looking forward to reach the Bridge of the Gods in Cascade Locks: the famous bridge where Cheryl Strayed finished her Pacific Crest Trail hike in 1995 (from the book and movie “Wild”). Oregon was so special for us, as we finally reunited with our long-lost Trail Family!
“Into The Green”
CA/OR Border to Mazama Village (Crater Lake NP)
Distance: 128 miles
Time: 6 days
Our Resupplies: Seiad Valley, Ashland
Mile 1736.6 | day 98 | On trail
At the end of our first hiking day in Oregon, we got to Ashland and spent a full zero. We managed to remain mentally sane and successfully resupplied for the whole section of Oregon by sending boxes to several towns ahead.
The next day, we started hiking with the goal of reaching the town of Mazama Village at Crater Lake in 4 days. For the first time since the Sierra, our trail family expanded to 4 little “Wocka Wockas”: Lilo, Chef, Pacman and Popeye.
Here are Pacman, Popeye and Chef in “wocka wockas’ formation”.
Mile 1738 | day 98 | On trail
We got our first organized trail magic from a lovely couple, “Air Dancer” and “Spare Part”! I got emotional and was moved by their kindness and generosity.
Mile 1767 | day 100 | On trail
The floor is lava!
We started walking on lava rocks, and I swear I can feel the details and shape of every tiny little annoying stone under my feet… my shoes are definitely flat again.
Mile 1791.4 | day 100 | On trail
Popeye at Deer Lake, where we collected water for “dry camping” on a ridge.
Mile 1792 | day 100 | On trail
Oregon is characterized by a rather flat and easy terrain, as the trail passes through dense pine tree forests.
Mile 1792 | day 100 | On trail
At first sight, these forests might look all the same… they’re just trees, right?
Mile 1794 | day 100 | On trail
However, every day we discover the beauty of noticing little details that make each forest unique.
I mean… look at this! There is so much life and power as older pines die and a young generation of trees takes over and repopulates this stretch!
Mile 1795 | day 100 | On trail
This year, the Oregon section is unfortunately affected by several wildfires. This gives us smoky, but nontheless beautiful, views of the never-ending green hills.
Mile 1803 | day 101 | On trail
“Dirty hikers! They ruined the pool!” (cit. old woman in Kennedy Meadows South, while talking to her dog).
This was Chef trying to avoid smashing thousand little frogs on the trail.
Mile 1817 | day 101 | On trail
Approaching Crater Lake National Park.
Overall, our bodies start to feel tired after 100 days spent on the trail. We just hope the Diamond Complex Fires will not get worse in the next few days… let’s go for another road walk!
“Stranger Things”
Mazama Village (Crater Lake NP) to Shelter Cove Resort
Distance: 86 miles
Time: 3 days
Our Resupplies: Mazama Village
Day 102 | Rim trail
We started hiking from Mazama Village with a lot of excitement… not only we were going to hike on the rim of the stunning Crater Lake, but we were also going on another off-trail adventure to avoid the Diamond Complex Fires! The re-route we chose was going to lead us East, across a never-ending maze of dirt roads and forests, then to Hwy 58 until Shelter Cove.
There was a magical atmosphere on the climb up to the rim of Crater Lake.
Day 102 | Rim trail
Crater Lake.
This view stole my heart and literally took my breath away. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the USA, was formed after the collapse of Mount Mazama, and hosts a mysterious volcanic island named “Wizard Island”.
Interesting fact: if hikers would jump into the the island’s crater called “Witches Cauldron”, they would be teletransported to another place on the PCT holding magical powers (for example Mount Shasta, John Muir Shelter, the Southern or Northern Monument).
Day 102 | Off trail
On the road again, with views over Mount Thielsen.
Day 103 | Off trail
The second day of our off-trail adventure started on a forest road… the first of many.
Day 103 | Off trail
A weird stop sign in the middle of nowhere. We did not stop.
Day 103 | Off trail
We had dinner at Corral Spring Campground, and kept hiking until dusk. The sky became smokier at sunset, creating a post-apocalyptic atmosphere. The dirt roads seemed never-ending and the surroundings never changed, as we kept a constant pace across the forest maze.
And suddenly, our mental insanity kicked in. We found ourselves trapped inside a video game, forever walking on a dirt road, uphill to Canada, downhill to Mexico, circling the earth over and over again. Sometimes a deer, a wolverine or a sasquatch would cross the road, giving some variety to the game’s background.
It was a magical moment that made us feel so alive: 4 adventurers on a road trip in the middle of nowhere, wearing face masks and facing the smoky horizon, headed towards the unknown… we listened to the soundtrack of Stranger Things, loughed together, and collected a memory of a lifetime.
Day 104 | Off trail
A lightning and thunderstorm surprized us in the night. Some tents didn’t withstand the rain… so we dried our sleeping bags on Highway 58 the next day.
Day 104 | Off trail
We ended up at a tavern along Hwy 58. The bar was cool and I thought it looked really american.
Day 104 | Off trail
Popeye, Pacman and Chef posing in front of Manley’s Tavern, where we ended up being vortexed for a few hours, and where we had the BEST chicken wings on (off) trail!
Mile 1907.6 | day 104 | Shelter Cove Resort
We arrived at Shelter Cove in the late afternoon, just in time to pick up our resupply box (thanks to a sneaky last-minute hitch).
Finally, I got to wear my fifth pair of Hokas!
“The Wocka Wockas”
Shelter Cove Resort to Bend
Distance: 94 miles
Time: 4 days
Our Resupplies: Shelter Cove
Mile 1907.6 | day 105 | Shelter Cove Resort
Our trail family “The Wocka Wockas” is finally complete once again! Cleopatra joined us and we all hit the trail together, with the goal of crossing the Three Sisters Wilderness and arriving in the town of Bend in 4 days.
Let’s gooo… “wocka wocka wocka wocka”.
Thos was the sunrise on the lake at Shelter Cove, shortly before heading back to the trail.
Mile 1910 | day 105 | On trail
I love it when light beams strike through the pine trees… it reminds me of the enchanted forests in Hayao Miyazaki’s movies.
Mile 1926.6 | day 105 | On trail
The first day out of Shelter Cove, we got surprized by two trail magic events. Funny thing is, they were only 1 mile apart from each other!
Mile 1926.6 | day 105 | On trail
Trail Magic happens when Trail Angels drive up to the trail and offer help to hikers. Often, there will be big tents and camping chairs, sodas, beers, chips, cookies and fresh fruit.
This trail magic was however special, as “Wolf” turned on his grill and started cooking burgers for us. There was even wifi, music, and cute lights on the tents!
Mile 1928 | day 105 | On trail
We somehow managed to escape the trail magic vortex and crossed the “Lily Lake Fire Burn Zone”.
Mile 1929 | day 105 | On trail
“The elephant cemetery”.
It was so special to cross this burned area at sunset.
Mile 1934.2 | day 106 | On trail
Peaceful reflections at Brahma Lake, before the lightning and thunderstorm built up. We were lucky enough to arrive at Elk Lake just in time for sheltering at the bar of the resort.
Mile 1960 | day 107 | On trail
The trail started crossing the volcanic landscapes of the Three Sisters Wilderness… the colors were so beautiful and reminded me of the GR131 in Tenerife!
Mile 1975 | day 107 | On trail
The sky cleared up for a moment, allowing the North Sister to show up in all her splendor.
Mile 1979 | day 107 | On trail
Wocka Wockas crossing lava fields with epic views on Mount Washington.
The next day, we arrived in Bend, where we took our next zero! We shared a AirBnB, drank local beers, prepared and shipped all our resupply boxes for Washington, and enjoyed the time together as a little family.
“The Shining”
Bend to Timberline Lodge
Distance: 98 miles
Time: 4 days
Our Resupplies: Bend
Mile 2009 | day 110 | On trail
After a brief taste of cozy real life, we said goodbye to the town of Bend and started hiking again, all geared up for surviving a few intense days of rain, cold and misery. Planning to arrive at the Timberline Lodge on the 3rd day, we started dreaming about the famous breakfast buffet that was awaiting us.
This was Three Fingered Jack, showing off its cool striations.
Mile 2012 | day 110 | On trail
The trail has been very colorful lately, and I just love looking for new type of flowers.
Mile 2018 | day 111 | On trail
Views during our second morning. The clouds seemed very innocent still.
Mile 2032 | day 111 | On trail
All of a sudden, the fog engulfed us… that’s when it started to be cold.
Mile 2038 | day 111 | On trail
The fog quickly cleared, revealing splendid views of Mount Jefferson.
That was the last time we saw the sky.
God that evening was an experience… we hiked in the frozen rain until late, until it became hail and we had no other choice than setting up camp in a burned zone, right next to a tiny spectral lake.
Everything was wet, everything was cold.
And then the worse happened… the sky got even more angry and wanted to show us the true power of nature: the wind picked up, the hail got bigger, and lightnings started striking all around us.
After each lightning, Chef was counting: “One Mississippi, Tw…”. But the thunder was roaring before the second Mississippi.
My stomach curled as I told Chef “Yannick I am scared”, and he replied “Me too”.
We then tried to forget the situation we were in, and warmed up with 200g of pasta each, before falling dead asleep.
Mile 2060 | day 112 | On trail
The next morning, it was really hard to get up and pack all our wet stuff. We ran to Olallie Lake, where we could all warm up next to a stove in the general store.
Miraculously, the weather forecast changed and the rain stopped. In the afternoon, the trail was beautiful, with all the leaves covered in droplets.
Mile 2081.5 | day 113 | On trail
The “Wocka Wockas” at Little Crater Lake.
Mile 2083 | day 113 | On trail
Friendly reminder that we are walking in Big Foot Country now.
Mile 2099.7 | day 113 | Timberline Lodge
We finally arrived at Timberline Lodge, one of the hotels where the movie “The Shining” was filmed.
Hot tubs, movie night, all you can eat breakfast buffet… it was a dream come true!
“Fairytale”
Timberline Lodge to Cascade Locks
Distance: 49 miles
Time: 2 days
Our Resupplies: Timberline Lodge
Mile 2099.7 | day 114 | Timberline Lodge
Posing with the Shining Axe before hitting the trail was a must.
We left the Timberline Lodge after breakfast and started slackpacking. Our favorite trail angel Petra was indeed spending a few days with us and having a car was a nice luxury.
We were excited for what was yet to come! In the next 2 days, we would cross an amazing stretch of trail, characterized by many beautiful waterfalls. We would then arrive in Cascade Locks, hence finish the Oregon section of the PCT.
Mile 2106 | day 114 | On trail
These were the views over the volcanic valley at the foot of Mount Hood.
Mile 2109.6 | day 114 | On trail
Ramona Falls.
We took a “blue blaze” to see these beautiful falls in the middle of the forest.
Mile 2124 | day 115 | On trail
Mount Hood.
This volcano gave us some “Mount Shasta” vibes, as we circled around it for a few days.
Mile 2130 | day 115 | On trail
Chef hiking towards Mount Adams.
Due to the next fire on our path, the William’s Mine Fire, we will take a re-route and not hike as close as planned to this volcano. But we are anyway getting some nice views of it!
Day 115 | Eagle Creek Trail
Wocka Wockas hiking the Eagle Creek Trail with Petra. This is a very popular alternative trail which runs parallel to the PCT for a few miles until Cascade Locks.
Day 115 | Eagle Creek Trail
Tunnel Falls.
These waterfalls were mesmerizing. Water was falling down the side of a cliff filled with lush green vegetation, hiding the entrance of a tunnel in the rocks. Hiking through the tunnel felt like stepping into a fairytale.
Day 115 | Eagle Creek Trail
Stepping into the Tunnel Falls fairytale.
Day 115 | Eagle Creek Trail
The last stretch of the Eagle Creek Trail was also interesting, as we hiked along a dry and brown hill, overlooking the green vegetation on the opposite side of the valley.
Mile 2150 | day 115 | Cascade Locks
We arrived in Cascade Locks just in time for dinner at the brewery. That evening, we went to bed tired but satisfied, slowly realizing that we had just walked across the whole state of Oregon in 20 days.
Legend says “Oregon is flat”.
We now say “Lies!”.
Well, it was definitely not “flat like the earth” as expected, but it has been a blast!
